‘They were developing her as asset’: How Pakistan used Indian YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra linked to spying case
Police said Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and also visited China. Officials believe she was in regular contact with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).
A travel blogger’s arrest has stirred major concern, as police now claim that social media influencers are being targeted by foreign operatives to spread propaganda and gather sensitive data.
Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Hisar, was taken into custody last week on charges of spying for Pakistan. The case has since revealed what police say is a wider strategy involving Indian influencers.
“Modern warfare is not only fought on the border. The PIOs are trying to recruit some social media influencers, and they use that to push their narrative,” said Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan on Sunday.
Jyoti had visited Pakistan, was in touch with PIOs
Police said Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and also visited China. Officials believe she was in regular contact with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).
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“We received inputs from the central agencies, and we arrested Jyoti Malhotra. She had visited Pakistan multiple times and China once. She was in contact with the PIOs. We have taken her on a 5-day police remand,” SP Sawan told the media.
According to the police, she was in touch with the PIOs during the recent tension between India and Pakistan, which escalated after India’s Operation Sindoor.
Travel expenses under scrutiny
Investigators are now checking her financial records to see how she funded her trips abroad.
“We are analysing her financial details. During the conflict (Indo-Pak), she was in touch with the PIOs... Her travel details are defying her total income,” the SP added.
“They were developing her as an asset. She was in touch with other YouTube influencers, and they were also in touch with the PIOs... She used to go to Pakistan, like on sponsored trips... She was in Pakistan before the Pahalgam attack, and the investigation is on to establish linkages, if there are any. We are also investigating, as we have leads that other people were also involved with her,” he added.
Official secrets charges and five-day remand
Jyoti Malhotra has been booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act. She is now under five-day police remand for further questioning.
This is the third such arrest in Haryana in a week, coming after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.
Contact with Pakistan High Commission revealed
The First Information Report (FIR) lodged at Hisar Civil Lines police station says that Malhotra met a staff member of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023. The man has been identified as Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish.
Police believe she shared sensitive details about Indian sites and was actively using social media to promote a positive image of Pakistan.
Her father, Harish Malhotra, defended his daughter’s visits to Pakistan, saying she had gone there to shoot travel content.
“If she wants to contact friends living there, why shouldn’t she?” he said.